Just awful

Rating: 1/10 (11 December 2013)

Guillermo del Toro has got to be the worst director/writer ever. I rented this without realizing it was his work. Like his other movies, this one assumes the viewers have no brain. Very insulting to watch.
The whole concept is incredibly juvenile. Typical of shonen (aimed at young boys) anime. Some bad guy shows up and missiles from jets, tanks, and other military weapons just can't affect it. Instead we need a giant humanoid robot driven by spunky and/or damaged young people. Every monster I saw in this movie would be annihilated by a normal jet with a few rockets, max. Humanoid robots that fight mostly by punching or maybe wielding a sword are not better weapons than jets with rockets. Also typical of anime: both parties begin their fight with weak attacks, then they power up and use better weapons, then power up again. So stupid.
There doesn't seem to be a single character in this movie. Only stereotypes, from the two nerds bumbling around to the world leaders that make earth-critical decisions without listening to all the facts/evidence. Every single person is one-dimensional and stylized. Every cliché you can imagine is present. Except for the first 5 minutes there is not a single time when you can't predict the next 30 minutes at least.
I think this movie did well overseas because subtlety and realism are completely lost in translation. What you need are extreme characters that leave no question in anyone's mind about what their role in the movie is.
For many years movies have become more and more realistic and gritty. This one has the detailed and beautiful special effects but the whole plot and every human relationship just doesn't make sense. In short, I hated this movie. It's far worse than other giant-but-not-thought-out movies.